Kaevon Merriweather Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

Kaevon Merriweather Scouting Report 40-Yard Dash Time – 4.50

6’0” / 212 lbs

Kaevon Merriweather Draft Profile

Kaevon Merriweather is a former 3-star recruit from Belleville High School in Belleville, Michigan. According to 247sports, he was the 37th-best player in Michigan. As a junior in high school, he attended Romulus High School where he earned conference defensive player of the year. He also led them to the state playoffs. As a senior, Merriweather attended Belleville High School. Here he was one of four defensive backs to be ranked in the top 50 players in the state of Michigan. While at Belleville, he helped lead his team to the high school playoffs while also competing in basketball and track. During his senior year, he only received one offer and that was from Iowa.

Merriweather did not have significant snaps until the 2020 season where he played in 7 games and had 13 solo tackles and 1 pass defense. In 2021, he played in 13 games where he racked up 28 solo tackles, 1 interception, and 4 passes defensed. During his final season at Iowa, Merriweather racked up 36 solo tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 3 interceptions, and 3 passes defensed.

Strengths

Vision

In zone coverage, Kaevon Merriweather has incredible field vision and awareness. When in deep zone coverage, he does a good job of watching the offensive play develop in front of him. This allows him to adjust his leverage and create narrow windows for the QB to fit the ball through. Merriweather also does a good job of keeping his eye on the QB. This allows him to make a jump on a route below him and come away with the ball. It also allows him to gain leverage deep down the field to perfectly position himself to make a play.

Athleticism

Kaevon Merriweather is one of the most athletic players on the Iowa defense. When the ball is snapped, he shows good foot speed and balance to quickly backpedal toward his zone. He also does a good job of keeping his hips loaded so he can change direction quickly if needed. If the ball is thrown in his direction, he does a good job of closing out on the intended receiver. This is due to him being very light on his feet and having a good burst of speed. Merriweather also shows off his quickness when he is lined up on the defensive line in safety blitz schemes. He is very good at quickly getting around the blocker forcing the QB to move up in the pocket. This allows the big bodies on Iowa’s defensive line to do the rest.

When lined up as a slot corner, he shows good hip mobility to mirror any move the receiver makes. By being able to mirror their hips, he is able to stay with them throughout their route. This leads to the ball rarely being thrown in his direction. He also uses his quick hips to his advantage when making plays in the open field. Changing directions quickly allows him to tackle the ball carrier in open space because the receiver cannot elude him.

Versatility

Kaevon Merriweather is the definition of a plug-and-play defender. He seems to always properly execute the assignment that he was given. While at Iowa, he has played all over the field. Although he primarily plays in deep zone coverage, he is also good in the slot, in the box, and in cover 2. As I mentioned earlier, he also shows flashes of being effective when lined up on the line. In the NFL, I see his level of versatility going down as he will become a more specialized safety.

Weaknesses

Production

When watching Merriweather on film, it was difficult to find consistent weaknesses in his game. This is because, throughout his career at Iowa, the ball was rarely thrown his way. Although this is more of a testament to how good he is, I have concerns about his production in the NFL. Hopefully, during the Senior Bowl game, he can show that he can be productive against top seniors in the nation.

Kaevon Merriweather Draft Stock

Although it was difficult for me to find weaknesses in Merriweather’s game, he lacks the upside most other DBs have in this draft class. This makes me believe that he will have a very specific role in the NFL. This makes his draft stock lead toward the middle of day 3.

Final Thoughts on Kaevon Merriweather

Kaevon Merriweather has been one of the main reasons why Iowa’s defense has been so good the past few seasons. He is an incredibly smart player both on the field and off. His vision when in zone coverage is very good and allows him to consistently gain leverage on the offense. He is also good at reading the QB’s eyes and making a jump on the route if it is thrown under him. Merriweather is also very athletic. When in zone coverage, he shows good foot speed and balance to quickly get to his zone. He also has fluid hips that allow him to mirror the receiver and stay glued to his hip. If the ball is thrown in his direction, he also has good explosiveness to leave his feet and make a play on the ball.

Although Merriweather has proven to be a top defensive back in the Big Ten, I do have concerns about his production. In college, he has shown that he can consistently gain leverage on receivers. This leads to the ball rarely getting thrown his way. Since there is not much film of how productive he is when the ball is thrown to him, there is a huge question mark surrounding how productive he’ll be in the NFL

Kaevon Merriweather Player Comparison

Kaevon Merriweather reminds me a lot of the player he replaced when he entered the draft. That player is current New York Giant Dane Belton. They can both line up anywhere on the field and are both good in zone coverage.